Find a lens for this look
eBay links may earn us a commission, at no extra cost to you.
Matching lenses from each maker's lineup, plus some classic medium and large format lenses. Email me if something is wrong or missing.
50mm vs 58mm portrait comparison
Interactive side-by-side simulation at the same subject size: see how 50mm and 58mm change camera distance, perspective, depth of field and background blur.
What this comparison shows
Both images show the same portrait at the same size. For the same head size, the 58mm camera stands about 1.2 times farther back than the 50mm camera. From closer in, 50mm shows more of the room around the person. 58mm has a narrower field of view, so the background looks larger and closer and is easier to simplify.
Start at f/1.4 on the left and f/1.4 on the right. Then try f/1.4 vs f/1.4, or open both to f/1.2 and f/1.4. Match depth of field sets the right-hand aperture so the background is as blurred as on the left. Both cameras use the same sensor, so equal f-numbers give a similar depth of field.
At the face framing, 50mm stands 80 cm from the subject. At f/1.4 the sharp zone runs from 79 cm to 82 cm. 58mm stands 93 cm away, and at f/1.4 the sharp zone runs from 92 cm to 95 cm.
Questions
How far from the subject do you stand with 50mm and 58mm?
In the face framing, 50mm stands 80 cm from the subject and 58mm stands 93 cm. For the same head size, the 58mm camera stands about 1.2 times farther back than the 50mm camera.
Which blurs the background more, 50mm or 58mm?
At the same framing, a distant background blurs in proportion to the aperture opening, focal length divided by f-number. 50mm at f/1.4 opens 35.7 mm and 58mm at f/1.4 opens 41.4 mm, so 58mm blurs it about 1.2 times as much. Close behind the person, the focal length matters less and the f-number more.
Does 58mm compress the background compared with 50mm?
Compression comes from camera distance, not from the focal length itself. For the same framing, 58mm stands about 1.2 times farther back than 50mm, so the background looks larger and closer behind the person and less of it fits in the frame.
Related comparisons
- 24mm vs 50mm portrait comparison
- 28mm vs 50mm portrait comparison
- 35mm vs 50mm portrait comparison
- 35mm vs 58mm portrait comparison
- 40mm vs 50mm portrait comparison
- 50mm vs 70mm portrait comparison
Also see: depth of field, bokeh, crop factor, lens compression.